Constitution & Bylaws

SECTION 1.

Eligibility. There shall be two types of membership open to all persons 18 years of age and older who are in good standing with the club. While membership is to be unrestricted as to residence, the club’s primary purpose is to be representative of the breeders, exhibitors, and pet owners in its immediate area.

Members or applicants for membership shall self-elect from the following types of membership:

A. Associate. Associate membership is designed for those individuals principally interested in receiving the club’s newsletter. Individuals are invited to participate in all club activities but will not be accorded a vote on business matters. These individuals will not count in the membership base for creation of a quorum nor be allowed to hold any office.

B. Active. Active membership carries with it the right to vote and hold office. It is designed for those individuals interested in participating regularly in the club’s function and participating in the conduct of the business needs of the club.

SECTION 2.

Dues. Membership dues shall not exceed $50 per year, payable on or before the 1st day of January of each year. No member may vote whose dues are not paid for the current year. During the month of November, the Treasurer shall send to each member a statement of his dues for the ensuing year.

SECTION 3.

Election to membership. Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form as approved by the Board of Directors and which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by these constitution and bylaws, the club’s code of ethics, and the rules of the American Kennel Club. The application shall state the name, address and shall carry the endorsement of two active members in good standing. Accompanying the application, the prospective member shall submit dues payment for the current year.

All applications are to be filed with the Secretary and each application is to be read at the first meeting of the club following its receipt. At the same meeting, the applications will be voted upon by secret ballot and affirmative votes of 3/4 of the members present and voting at that meeting shall be required to elect the applicant.

Applicants for membership who have been rejected by the Club may not reapply within six months after such rejection.

SECTION 4.

Termination of membership. Membership may be terminated by:

A. By resignation. Any member in good standing may resign from the Club upon written notice to the Secretary; but no member may resign when in debt to the Club and they become incurred on the first day of each financial year.

B. By lapsing. A membership will be considered as lapsed and automatically terminated if such member's dues remain unpaid 90 days after the first of the fiscal year, however, the Board may grant an additional 90 days of grace to such delinquent members in meritorious cases. In no cases may a person be entitled to vote in any club meeting whose dues are unpaid as of the date of that meeting.

C. By expulsion. A membership may be terminated by expulsion as provided in Article VI of these bylaws.



SECTION 1.

Club Meetings. Meetings of the Club shall be held within the greater Washington, D.C. area, at a time and place as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20 percent of the active members in good standing.

SECTION 2.

Special Club Meetings. Special Club meetings may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the members of the Board who are present and voting at any regular or special meeting of the Board and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a petition signed by five members of the Club who are in good standing. Such special meetings shall be held in or within 50 miles of the greater Washington, DC area at such a place, date and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such meetings. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days and not more than 15 days prior to the date of the meeting, and said notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other club business may be transacted thereat. The quorum for such a meeting shall be 20% of the members in good standing.

SECTION 3.

Board Meetings. Board of Directors shall hold at least four face-to-face meetings each year which shall be held in or within 50 miles of the greater Washington, DC area at such hour and place as may be designated by the Board. Additional board meetings can held at the Board’s discretion via teleconference or video conference. Written notice of each such meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days prior to the date of the meeting. The quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

SECTION 4.

Special Board Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President and shall be called by the Secretary upon receipt of a written request signed by at least three members of the Board. Such Special meetings shall be held in or within 50 miles of the greater Washington, DC area at such place, date and hour as may be designated by the person authorized to call such a meeting. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary at least 5 days and not more than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting, or telegraphic notice shall be filed at least 3 days and not more than 5 days prior to the date of the meeting. Any such notice shall state the purpose of the meeting and no other business shall be transacted thereat. A quorum for such a meeting shall be a majority of the Board.

SECTION 5.

Voting. Each member in good standing whose dues are paid for the current year shall be entitled to one vote at any meeting of the Club at which he/she is present. Proxy voting will not be permitted at any Club meeting or election.



SECTION 1.

Board of Directors. The Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and five (5) other persons all of whom shall be members in good standing. The officers of the Club; President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and the five Board of Directors shall be elected at the Club's annual meeting and serve a one year term as provided in Article IV. General management of the Club's affairs shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2.

Officers. The Club's officers, consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall serve in their respective capacities both with regard to the Club and its meetings and the Board and its meetings.

A. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board and shall have the duties and powers normally associated with the office of President, in addition to those particularly specified in these bylaws.

B. The Vice-President shall have the duties and exercise the powers of the President in case of the President's death, absence or incapacity.

C. The Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Club and the Board and all matters of which a record shall be ordered by the Club. He/ She shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notify officers and directors of their election to office, keep a roll of the members of the Club with their addresses, and carry out such other duties as are prescribed in these bylaws.

D. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all money due or belonging to the Club. He/She shall deposit the same in a bank designated by the board, in the name of the Club. The Treasurer's books shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board and he/she shall report to them at every meeting the condition of the Club's finances and every item of receipt or payment not before reported. At the annual meeting he/she shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the previous fiscal year. The Treasurer may be bonded in such amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.

SECTION 3.

Vacancies. Any vacancies occurring on the Board or among the officers during the year shall be filled until the next annual election by a majority vote of all the then members of the Board at its first regular meeting following the creation of such vacancy, or at a special Board meeting called for that purpose; except that a vacancy in the office of President shall be filled automatically by the Vice-President and the resulting vacancy in the office Vice-President shall be filled by the board.

SECTION 4.

Removal of Board Members. Officers and Directors of the GWBdFC are elected to lead and help better the club. To accomplish this, Officers and Directors must actively participate in all board and membership meetings because a quorum is required of the board to do business.

A. Automatic Forfeiture. Accordingly, an Officer or Director shall forfeit his or her seat on the Board of Directors if he or she has been absent from 50% or more of the board and membership meetings in any rolling six- (6-) month period.

The Secretary, on the absence that results in the automatic forfeiture as defined above, will send a letter “Notification of Forfeiture” on behalf of the Board to the offending individual. Said letter shall indicate that the individual’s seat on the Board is in a state of Forfeiture. Indication of the date of the next meeting shall be included in the automatic forfeiture notification. The person has the option to defend their seat (i.e. seek reinstatement) or accept the Forfeiture. The person must notify the Secretary of their intention to seek reinstatement or resign the position. If no response is received before the next board meeting the board position will be considered vacant.

Reinstatement can only be accomplished, in person, at the next scheduled Board Meeting at which evidence of ongoing commitment to the club must be presented. Should the person not attend the next meeting, the seat is forfeited. Two letters in any given term triggers removal for cause vote by the board.

Seats forfeited will be filled by the board as set forth in Article II, Section 3, Vacancies.

B. Removal for Cause. A member of the board may be removed from their office upon a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the other Board members or upon a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the total Club membership.



SECTION 1.

Club Year. The Club's fiscal year shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the 31st day of December. The Club's official year shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the election at the annual meeting and shall continue through the elections at the next annual meeting.

SECTION 2.

Annual Meeting. The annual meeting shall be held between of November 1 and December 18 at which time Officers and Directors for the ensuing year shall be elected by a secret written ballot from among those nominated in accordance with section 4 of this Article. They shall take office January 1st of the next year and each retiring officer shall turn over to his successor in office all properties and records relating to that office by January 1st.

SECTION 3.

Elections. The nominated candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. The five nominated candidates for the positions on the positions on the Board who receive the greatest number of votes for such positions shall be declared elected.

SECTION 4.

Nominations. No person may be a candidate in a club election who has not been nominated. During the month of July, the Board shall select a nominating committee consisting of three members and two alternatives, not more than one of whom may be a member of the Board. The Secretary shall immediately notify the committeemen and alternates of their selection. The Board shall name a Chairperson for the Committee and it shall be their duty to call a committee meeting which shall be held on or before September 1st.

A. The committee shall nominate one candidate for each office and five candidates for the five other positions on the Board and, after securing the consent of each person so nominated shall immediately report their nominations to the Secretary in writing.

B. Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee's report, the Secretary shall, before September 15th., notify each member in writing of the candidates so nominated.

C. Additional nominations may be made at the October meeting by any member in attendance provided that the person so nominated does not decline when his name is proposed, and provided further that if the proposed candidate is not in attendance at this meeting, his proposer shall present to the Secretary a written statement from the proposed candidate signifying his/her willingness to be a candidate. No person may be a candidate for more than one position, and the additional nominations which are provided for herein may be made only from among members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating Committee.

D. Nominations cannot be made at the Annual Meeting or in any manner other than as provided in this section.

SECTION 1.

The Board may each year appoint standing committees to advance the work of the Club in such matters as Specialty shows, obedience trials, trophies, annual prizes, membership and other fields which may well be served by committees. Such committees shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board. Special committees may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.

SECTION 2.

Any committee appointment may be terminated by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board upon written notice to the appointee; and the Board may appoint successors to those persons whose services have been terminated.

SECTION 1.

American Kennel Club Suspension. Any member who is suspended from the privileges of the American Kennel Club automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this Club for a like period.

SECTION 2.

Charges. Any member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or the breed. Written charges with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the Secretary together with a deposit of $10.00 which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by the Board following a hearing. The Secretary shall promptly send a copy of the charges to each member of the Board or present them at a Board meeting, and the Board shall first consider whether the actions alleged in the charges, if proven, might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or the breed. If the Board considers that the charges do not allege that, it may refuse to entertain jurisdiction. If the Board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix a date of a hearing by the Board, not less than 3 weeks not more than 6 weeks thereafter. The Secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges to the accused member by registered mail, together with a notice of the hearing and an assurance that the defendant may personally appear in this own defense and bring witnesses if he wishes.

SECTION 3.

Board Hearing. The Board shall have complete authority to decide whether counsel may attend the hearing but both complainant and defendant shall be treated uniformly in that regard. Should the charges be sustained after hearing all the evidence and testimony presented by complainant and defendant, the Board may, by a majority vote of those present, reprimand or suspend the defendant from all privileges of the Club for not more than six months from the date of the hearing. And, if it deems that punishment insufficient, it may also recommend to the membership that the penalty be expulsion. In such case, the suspension shall not restrict the defendant's right to appear before his fellow members at the ensuing Club meeting, which considers that Board's recommendations. Immediately after the Board has reached a decision, its findings shall be put in written form and filed with the Secretary. The Secretary, in turn, shall notify each of the parties of the Board's decision and penalty, if any.

SECTION 4.

Expulsion. Expulsion of a member from the Club may be accomplished only at a meeting of the Club following a Board hearing and upon the Board's recommendation as provided in Section 3 of this Article. Such proceedings may occur at a regular or special meeting of the Club to be held within 60 days but not earlier than 30 days after the date of the Board's recommendation of the expulsion. The defendant shall have the privilege of appearing in his own behalf, though no evidence shall be taken at this meeting. The President shall read the charges and the Board's findings and recommendations, and shall invite the defendant, if present, to speak in this own behalf if he wishes. The meeting shall then vote by secret ballot on the proposed expulsion. A 2/3 vote of those present and voting at the meeting shall be necessary for expulsion. If expulsion is not so voted, the Boards suspension shall stand.

SECTION 1.

Amendments to the constitution and bylaws may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by written petition addressed to the Secretary signed by 20% of the membership in good standing. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered by the Board of Directors and must be submitted to the members with recommendations of the Board by the Secretary for a vote within three months of the date when the petition was received by the Secretary.

SECTION 2.

The constitution and bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting at any regular or special meeting called for that purpose, provided the proposed amendments have been included in the notice of the meeting and mailed to each member at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.



SECTION 1.

Dissolution. The Club may be dissolved at any time by the written consent of not less than 2/3 of the members. In the event of the dissolution of the Club, other than for the purposes of reorganization, whether voluntary or involuntary, or by operation of law, none of the property of the Club nor any proceeds thereof, nor any assets of the Club shall be distributed to any member of the Club. After payment of the debts of the Club, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization for the benefit of dogs, selected by the Board of Directors.



SECTION 1.

At the meeting of the Club, the order of business, so far as the character and nature of the meeting may permit, shall be as follows:

Roll call

Minutes of the last meeting

Report of the President

Report of the Secretary

Report of the Treasurer

Report of the Committees

Election of Officers and Board (at annual meeting)

Election of new members

Unfinished business

New business

Adjournment

SECTION 2.

At the meetings of the Board, the order of business, unless otherwise directed by majority vote of those present, shall be as follows:

Reading of the minutes of the last meeting

Report of the Secretary

Report of the Treasurer

Report of committees

Unfinished business

New business

Adjournment



SECTION 1.

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the club in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any other special rules of order the club may adopt.